Sod staples work ok then you can dip two at a time. but you have to lube the wire before dipping or its a motha to get off. ALuminum is the way to go probably pick up a stick of 1.8 at the hardware store pretty cheap. as far as cutting tails. I have a lurecraft block that I do smaller stuff on. I built one of those pizza cutter type but my plastic all balls up in it.